Presents
Friedrich Ernst Fesca
String Quartet No.16 in C Major, Op.36--New Edition
Friedrich Ernst Fesca (1789-1826) was born in the German town of Magdeburg. He studied piano and violin with several different teachers, including for a short time Ludwig Spohr. By age 16 had already obtained a position as a violinist in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Not long after, he was employed as solo violinist to the Court of Jerome Bonaparte, at that time, King of Westphalia. After this he lived for a while in Vienna where he befriended the famous violinist, Ignaz Schuppanzigh, first violinist of the famous Beethoven Razumovsky String Quartet. His final years were spent working in Karlsruhe along with fellow composer Franz Danzi. He composed in nearly every genre from opera to solo piano works, however, the bulk of his out put was chamber music. Carl Maria von Weber, writing of Fesca’s chamber music, had this to say. “Mr. Fesca is completely master of whatever he undertakes to express. I am fully convinced of his remarkable talent. His works are carefully written, thoroughly elaborated and richly flavored." Fesca was widely hailed as a worthy successor to Haydn and Mozart and his quartets were frequently performed on a regular basis up until the middle of the 19th century when they began to disappear.
String Quartet No.16 in C Major was composed in 1825, the year before his death. It begins with a genial and pleasing Allegro which rather sounds like the music of his teacher Louis Spohr. Although the Andante which comes next is subtitled Siciliano, it sounds more like a slow German country dance, rhythmically deliberate than traditionally Sicilian music and later it even has Scottish tinges to it. his is followed by a dark and somewhat lugubrious Menuetto, molto moderato, which is slow enough to be danced to. However, there are several interruptions with changes of tempo. The finale is a bright, toe-tapping Vivace which makes you want to jump and dance.
Our new edition has been carefully edited by senior editor Santo Neuewelt. This is a appealing quartet which merits concert performance but can also be recommended to amateur players.
Parts: $24.95
Parts & Score: $34.95
